AHL- Apolyton Hockey League 07/08: VI They brought their ****in' toys with 'em!

[Kontiki]

Unless it was during the draft, I'm not sure if it's any worse.

"Hey John, you know all those rumors about you being replaced that are floating around? We're not really going to deny anything here, but we're also not going to really tell you what's going on. Oh, and we're waiting for your replacement to get back from vacation before we can your ass, but don't worry - you're still the GM until then."

[Flubber]

Why would any quality GM WANT to go to Toronto ?

Lets see

1. saddled with a LOT of overpaid old guys that will hamstring your ability to make real change for a few years

2. More media glare/scrutiny than anywhere

3. An ownership management team that is either incompetent or just downright cruel in how they have handled their current GM

It might have been fun pre-cap when you could probably just spend more than anyone else but now if I were a good GM I think I would choose othyer offers where I had greater freedom to mould a team.

But on the other hand if you have an ego and/or like a huge challenge TO might be the place. A new GM might be able to say that he needs to blow it all up and start over-- and its not that the team is THAT terrible-- There are some decent building blocks-- Its just that some of their high-paid players command slaries that far exceed their performance

[Flubber]

Oh and the only thing worse would be to tell a GM prior to the draft that he is fired effective after the draft. Such a scenario would probably lead to some interesting results

I can see the GM now

" With our first pick and the 4th overall in this 2008 draft, we are pleased to select Haley Wickenheiser of the women's national team"

It would be priceless

[Sparrowhawk]

Not sure whether to laugh or cry, but I just noticed that minimum goalie games don't apply this week due to the all-star break.

I also noticed that with tonights games, I now have my three goalie games

/me

[Kontiki]

Rumors are that Toronto is interested in courting Burke. I'm quite sure Burke wouldn't want the job - he's spoken publically a few times about how crappy the Leafs' treat their GMs, and he's actively negotiating a new contract with Anaheim - but it would be interesting to see what he would do.

[Asher]

There's no way Burke would take the Leafs, just 'cause of the types of pathetic, puck-shy players they have on long contract. Not physical enough, too weak.

[snoopy369]

I finally bite and pick up Mason, and start him instead of Ellis. Ellis goes ahead and gets a shutout (well, 3 min from one right now) and I start mason

And the one week I would potentially benefit from the 3 goalie minimum it doesn't count...

At least i'm getting some crazy games from some of my weaker starters

[Flubber]

I didn't check my goalies as I always play Nabokov-- but since on Sunday Ottawa played and San Jose did not, they were set on the two Ottawa goalies

aaarrrggggghhhhhhh

[Flubber]

Flames were good at the Dome last night. Some observations

-- Calgary outplayed Minny after going down a goal a few minutes in
-- Defensive play was strong-- Minny didn't have a ton of great chances-- heck it was a night where Kipper could have had a shutout
-- Flames top line was largely neutralized-- only had a couple of shifts with any real jump
-- Tanguay though pointless on the night played with a higher energy level than I have seen in a while
-- Keenan benched the 4th line and went with 3 lines for the game essentially --- Mark Smith (1:17 total icetime) Eric Godard (1:10) and Dustin Boyd (3:24 and actually played a shift in the second period) were the sitters
--Secondary scoring was key as the second and third lines got both goals-- Yelle was unexpectedly in on both of them

---The powerplay units now are simply the first and second lines.

-- Comic moments as Phaneuf broke the glass (different panes) behind Josh Harding TWICE

-- Flames got lucky late as a big slapper from Brett Burns hit the post THREE times late in the game-- Yes it took more deflections than the bullet that struck Kennedy-- one shot hit the post, went across the goal line to the opposite post and then back across the goal line to the original post-- I have never seen that before

[Flubber]

Oh and the local radio sports morning show did a spoof on 'We are the World" song-- Its goes

We are the Flames
We are in first place


They probably have had that ready for a while and decided to play it before the Flames drop back again. That division is so freaking close that its almost certain the Flames will lose the division lead on Thursday. In fact since the Wild play the Avs, its a certainty that they will at best be tied for the lead

[Flubber]

The OIlers?

They made a decent attempt at a comeback but ultimately fell short. While I know that parity has hit the NHL and "there are no easy games" yadda yadda-- it is precisely the games against the last place teams that you should hope and expect to win. The OIlers have pulled off some good results against playoff calibre teams and thats what must make it burn so much to lose to likes of LA and Tampa.

The Oil though to their credit are still hanging in there and are in no way out of a playoff spot. But as evidence of how tough it is-- The Oil were 5-4-1 in their last 10-- That is only better than 3 teams in the conference

Heck Look at these standings--- The only team that looks completely out of it is LA. Everyone else has a reasonable shot although you really need to go on a run to make up any ground when you are behind 10 teams

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away L10
1 Detroit Red Wings* 50 36 10 4 76 172 109 19-4-2 17-6-2 7-2-1
2 Dallas Stars* 52 28 19 5 61 153 136 15-8-2 13-11-3 5-4-1
3 Calgary Flames* 50 25 17 8 58 146 143 12-8-7 13-9-1 6-3-1
4 Anaheim Ducks 51 27 18 6 60 133 132 16-6-4 11-12-2 8-1-1
5 San Jose Sharks 48 26 15 7 59 125 118 10-11-4 16-4-3 5-3-2
6 Minnesota Wild 49 27 19 3 57 135 136 15-8-1 12-11-2 5-4-1
7 Colorado Avalanche 49 26 19 4 56 136 135 17-7-1 9-12-3 5-4-1
8 Vancouver Canucks 49 25 19 5 55 128 119 13-9-2 12-10-3 3-6-1

9 Nashville Predators 49 25 20 4 54 143 134 14-8-2 11-12-2 6-2-2
10 Columbus Blue Jackets 50 24 20 6 54 127 126 16-6-4 8-14-2 6-4-0
11 Phoenix Coyotes 48 25 21 2 52 131 131 10-11-2 15-10-0 6-3-1
12 St Louis Blues 46 22 18 6 50 120 129 14-8-4 8-10-2 4-4-2
13 Chicago Blackhawks 49 23 22 4 50 139 142 13-12-1 10-10-3 4-5-1
14 Edmonton Oilers 51 22 24 5 49 136 155 12-12-1 10-12-4 5-4-1
15 Los Angeles Kings 50 19 29 2 40 140 168 11-16-1 8-13-1 5-5-0

[Flubber]

Looking at those standings . . . Why the heck does St Louis have so many games in hand? They are only a point up on the Oil but with FIVE games in hand and the Blues have between 2-6 games in hand on every playoff team

[Asher]

Sometimes I forget why I love Sutter so much.

"I was in Montreal, Boston and New Jersey scouting last week because we don't play those teams often, so some idiot in the media assumes we're trading Alex Tanguay to Montreal.

"Honest to God, there's about 20 of you guys who cover us really well and about five others who are complete idiots who don't know a thing about it...

"I say Alex Tanguay is one of the top players in the league and you think 'He's just saying that so he can trade him.' If I say he's a bad player, it's because I can't get rid of him."

He talks to the press like I post on Apolyton.

[Asher]

Vancouver just stole 2 points from StL on a brutal early whistle negating a very late StL goal

[Ninot]

I saw Sutter at one of the games last week. Many people in my section noticed him and started pointing.